Posted on 02/28/2006 1:02:31 AM PST by BlueSky194
The parent company of a Dubai-based firm at the center of a political storm in the US over the purchase of American ports participates in the Arab boycott against Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The firm, Dubai Ports World, is seeking control over six major US ports, including those in New York, Miami, Philadelphia and Baltimore. It is entirely owned by the Government of Dubai via a holding company called the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCZC), which consists of the Dubai Port Authority, the Dubai Customs Department and the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area.
"Yes, of course the boycott is still in place and is still enforced," Muhammad Rashid a-Din, a staff member of the Dubai Customs Department's Office for the Boycott of Israel, told the Post in a telephone interview.
"If a product contained even some components that were made in Israel, and you wanted to import it to Dubai, it would be a problem," he said.
A-Din noted that while the head office for the anti-Israel boycott sits in Damascus, he and his fellow staff members are paid employees of the Dubai Customs Department, which is a division of the PCZC, the same Dubai government-owned entity that runs Dubai Ports World.
Moreover, the Post found that the website for Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone Area, which is also part of the PCZC, advises importers that they will need to comply with the terms of the boycott.
In a section entitled "Frequently Asked Questions", the site lists six documents that are required in order to clear an item through the Dubai Customs Department. One of them, called a "Certificate of Origin," "is used by customs to confirm the country of origin and needs to be seen by the office which ensures any trade boycotts are enforced," according to the website.
A-Din of the Israel boycott office confirmed that his office examines certificates of origin as a means of verifying whether a product originated in the Jewish state.
On at least three separate occasions last year, the Post has learned, companies were fined by the US government's Office of Anti-boycott Compliance, an arm of the Commerce Department, on charges connected to boycott-related requests they had received from the Government of Dubai.
US law bars firms from complying with such requests or cooperating with attempts by Arab governments to boycott Israel.
In one instance, according to a Commerce Department press release, a New York-based exporter agreed to pay a fine for having "failed to report in a timely manner its receipts of requests from Dubai" to provide certification that its products had not been made in Israel.
The proposed handover of US ports to DP World has provoked a political storm in Washington, where Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed hostility to the plan, citing national security concerns.
In an attempt to stave off opposition, DP World agreed over the weekend to a highly unusual 45-day second federal investigation of potential security risks.
If that's the case then the Libs will have to support Bush.
Why so many of America's Jews fall all over themselves to support the Rat camp, is a mystery that only God can grok.
So if President Bush allows the Dubai/Arabs to take over our ports they will be able to tell us that we cannot import things from ISRAEL!!
Whats also interesting about this story.
The Dubai port's company admits, It takes its order from Syria about the boycott of Israel.
Syria who's the biggest supporters of the insurgents in Iraq, who are killing and maiming civilians every day.
Syria who has 10 terrorist organizations in there country and who's one of the biggest promoters of terrorism.
Now we learn, this Dubai port's company is in bed with Syria.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
That's not how I read this:"If a product contained even some components that were made in Israel, and you wanted to import it to Dubai, it would be a problem," he said.
The DPW is NOT "taking over 6 ports"; however, THEY DO BUSINESS WITH ISRAEL NOW AND HAVE DONE SO FOR A WHILE.
That is just not so.
What? Have you gotten any sleep? Thats just delerious to make all those connections. The UA freakin E isnt going to tell us what we can export to Israel. IF the hottie girl at the very Jewish very pro Israel Atlas Shrugs blog http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/ isnt raising alarms that the Dubai port deal isnt the end of ISrael and western civilization as we know it then I suggest everyone take a deep breath.
I don't believe this article for a second and question their motives.
look at post #6
I'm with you Echo Talon.
This story gets more Alice Through the Looking Glass every day.
Welcome to the Mad Hatter's tea party where things get curioser and curioser by the minute.
This whole thing has turned into a political football, and in the end could end up hurt us in the WOT, if we lose the UAE and other "friends" in the area. We can't win without their help.
But Israel does have a diplomatic mission in Dubai, and if President Bush is successful in his diplomatic initiatives, Isreal and UAE will normalize relations and establish embassies soon.
This is my view on the whole "ISrael" question as to UAE
(1) If people feel so strongly about this recognition issue please be consistent and stop purchasing all petro and other goods from countries that dont officially recognize Israel.
(2) How come the only complaints I been hearing about this is from American bloggers and not hardly a thing from the State of Israel or some legit political party there.
(3) Related to point 2, is I suspect that there is a lot of wink wink and nod, nod between place like the UAE, the companies there and Israel. Boycott offiially but really alot going on and not just trade either.
(4) DOnt we want to encourage International trade, education, all the things we have inthe UAE because it will lead to ISrael being recognized
(5) Related to point one shall we all now boycott COuntries that trade with the regime of Cuba
(6) Over the night reports have come out that China has again threatened the Soverign Nation of Tawain. Its is beyond me why we care so much about little ole UAE and their vast army(not) and their current diplomatic relations with Israel as of Feb 27 2006 and ignore poor ole Tawain that has over 40,000 missles pointed at it knowing there shall be no trade sanctions for China's attitude. An attitude that more likely to engulf us in war than the Israel/UAE relationship will. I know China is not Islamic and therefore not a threat but lets try to think outside the box.
Not sure whats up with this Jerusalem Post article
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